were intrigued by a former chapel. They immediately
arranged to see it. ‘Before the viewing, Grant and I took
a stroll around the harbourside village and couldn’t
believe our eyes,’ says Mandy. ‘It was breathtaking. As
we sat down on a wooden bench on the quay to take
in the view of boats bobbing gently in the wind, we
understood why Calum had urged us to visit.’
Enthralled with the location, the McPhersons were
delighted when they walked into the chapel. The doors
opened on to a double-height living space, with stairs
leading up to two bedrooms on a large mezzanine,
with a view down to the open-plan ground floor. At the
back of the property, a hidden deck makes a tranquil
space to sit and watch the stream that slowly drifts by
to the sea. The couple recognised the potential to
transform it into a lovely, relaxed lock-up-and-leave
home, without the upheaval of any structural work.
‘It was a blank canvas, crying out for TLC,’ says
Mandy. ‘Although I loved the fact that it was so
spacious, I knew I’d need to think carefully about
the ground floor to strike a balance between zoning
each area while creating a cohesive overall look.’
Determined to give the sitting area a focal point,
Mandy and Grant designed a shiplap wall to include
recesses for a television and feature fire, plus storage
Exterior deck Smart
garden furniture creates a
delightful area to unwind.
Dante garden furniture,
John Lewis & PartnersExterior Model yachts
give a nautical look to
the chapel windowsStream The peaceful
stream, with its rickety
wooden bridge, is situated
at the back of the
characterful chapelWest sussex chapel